Despite pledges ahead of the May 2018 election to hand power to Anwar, the 94-year-old premier has repeatedly said he will step down only after resolving problems inherited by the previous administration. Anwar said they had an “understanding” it should take place around May this year.
(Feb 24): Malaysian politics is set for another shakeup, but with a familiar script: Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad refusing to hand power to Anwar Ibrahim.
Barely two years after he joined with his old rival for a stunning election win that ousted an alliance in power for six decades, Mahathir’s supporters are reportedly maneuvering to form a new government that will exclude Anwar, the man positioned to be his successor. The episode is reminiscent of the 1990s, when Anwar was ousted from Mahathir’s cabinet and arrested for sodomy.
